Xfinity Flex users have one more virtual pay TV option to choose from with the addition of YouTube TV on the free video platform Comcast offers to its broadband-only customers.
Comcast has already integrated Dish Networks' Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV on the platform, which is based on X1 OS code. Google's vMVPD platform is also supported by XClass TV, the new smart TV OS recently deployed by Comcast onto Hisense smart TVs.
“The launch of YouTube TV on Flex is another example of how we surround our broadband service with value, giving our customers access to all their preferred content and subscriptions on one device powered by our award-winning entertainment and voice platform,” said Colin Petrie-Norris, senior VP of consumer entertainment for Comcast.
Comcast ended September with just over 18.5 million remaining traditional pay TV customers. The cable operator's priorities are now focused on serving its still-fast-growing high-speed internet customer base with anything else it might need.
Comcast said in July that it has deployed for free 3.8 million Xfinity Flex thin-client set-tops, which deliver a range of over-the-top services in an OS based on the richer "X1" voice-enabled video experience if offers linear pay TV subscribers.
Comcast is also trying to take its video OS out of footprint with the debut of XClass TV over the fall.
As for Google's YouTube TV app-based live-streaming service, it's been one heck of a busy week in terms of distribution deals.
Not only did Google resolve a long-running dispute with Roku that kept YouTube TV out of the Roku Channel Store since April, Google also announced a deal in which YouTube TV is being bundled to Frontier Communications' wirelines broadband customers at $10 off the regular $65 monthly cost for one year.
Oh, and Google also announced a deal with Sony to add GSN and getTV to YouTube TV's basic lineup over more than 85 linear channels.
Google parent Alphabet hasn't broken out YouTube TV customers metrics for quite some time. But one analyst recently pegged YouTube TV's customer base at over 4 million ... and ahead of Hulu + Live TV as the top virtual pay TV service in the U.S.
Google is currently discounting the regular $64.99 YouTube TV monthly price to $14.99 for the first month.
